"In my opinion, we have so far been successful in the
Geneva negotiations, but these negotiations could have been done
better. The wall of sanctions was not successful because we have
been able to increase our oil exports. America cannot revert to
the past because a lack of confidence has been created in
it. Fortunately, the Ukrainian matter became a divine blessing for
us, because America can no longer convince China and Russia. ...

Resistance economy means the people’s jihad and that the economy
must be made resistant against the enemies’ shocks and
pressures. ...

Resistance economy seeks to bring the Westerners and the Americans
to their knees against sanctions, to the extent that they admit
that sanctions were mistake."

Ukraine's 'anti-terrorist operation' turns into a fiasco

The "anti-terrorist operation" by Ukraine's army to strike back at
pro-Russian separatist activists in cities in eastern Ukraine is
turning into a fiasco, a day after it was announced by Ukraine's
acting President Olexander Turchynov. Six of the Ukrainian army's
armored personnel carriers (APCs) were captured by pro-Russian
militants in eastern Ukraine, amid reports that Ukrainian soldiers
switched sides to support the militants. The Ukrainian soldiers were
obviously unhappy with being deployed against crowds of civilians.

Evidence is growing that Russian armed forces special agents are in
east Ukraine, training the separatist militants with tactics -- takint
over buildings, setting up blockades, fomenting protests. Speaking in
London, UK Foreign Secretary William Hague said Russia had sent
"thinly disguised" armed groups into eastern Ukraine to spearhead the
occupation of buildings.

Ukraine is not a member of Nato, but fears are growing that Russia
does not plan to stop with annexing Ukraine. Latvia and Estonia are
Nato members, and have large ethnic Russian communities. Nato
announced that air patrols over the Baltic republics are to be
increased, while Nato warships will deploy to the eastern
Mediterranean and the Baltic Sea. BBC and CNN

Russian ambassador signals coming invasion of east Ukraine

Vladimir Chizhov (BBC)

Vladimir Chizhov, Russia's Ambassador to European Union, was
interviewed on the BBC on Wednesday. With violent pro-Russian
activists in east Ukraine taking over police stations, airfields
and government buildings, he was asked why the Russian government
does not tell them to stand down (my transcription):

"Well I think in the current situation situation there
would be seen by people in eastern Ukraine as Russia betraying
them, because they want to see their interests protected, and they
want to see a federalization of the country. Our view, and my
personal view, is the only way to save Ukraine as a single
democratic country."

The "federalization of the country" means making eastern provinces
independent republics, which would make them like Crimea, and
then vulnerable to Russian annexation. Ukraine is already
no longer a "single democratic country," having lost Ukraine
to Russian annexation.

Chizhov was asked what would happen if separatists in Russia
were occupying police stations and airports. Would Moscow
stand by and let this happen?

"I don't think you should draw a comparison between a
legitimate government like the one in Russia and self-proclaimed
government that came to power as a result of an armed coup in
Kiev."

So according to Chizhov, Kiev isn't allowed to do anything to stop the
violence in east Ukraine because it's not a "legitimate" government,
even though it's the only government. And Russia won't even ask the
protesters to stop the violence, because that would be "betraying"
them. Therefore, according to Russian logic, Kiev just has to let the
violence continue.

Watching Chizhov on television, one can almost see the sleaze oozing
out of every pore. But the bottom line is that Russia is fomenting a
"civil war" in eastern Ukraine, and apparently is preparing to invade
in order to "protect" the ethnic Russians.

The one-month ceasefire that the Pakistani Taliban (Tehrik-e-Taliban -
TTP) declared has now expired, and on Wednesday announced that it will
not be extended. However, the TTP wants to continue the "peace talks"
with complete "sincerity and seriousness" which, I assume, means that
TTP will keep on blowing up crowded marketplaces and mosques while it
pretends to want peace.

It recently emerged that the TTP agreed to the one-month ceasefire in
the first place only because prime minister Nawaz Sharif agreed to release 19 Taliban militants from
jail. Sharif secretly kept this process last month, though the secret
was revealed recently. Apparently the TTP is willing to agree to a
ceasefire only as long as murderers are being let out of jail.

In a more bizarre development, two factions of the TTP in Pakistan's
tribal area have been fighting each other for control, and have shed a
lot of blood doing so. So the TTP leadership has appealed to the
Afghanistan Taliban to send a delegation to Pakistan to act as
mediators between the two warring factions, and end the fighting.
The Express Tribune (Pakistan) and The News (Pakistan)